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| Why New York City Stopped Building Subways http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41890 |
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| Author: | Mark Trebing [ Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/04/why-new-york-city-stopped-building-subways/557567/ There's some history in this article. One of the root causes identified is a deferred maintenance backlog. -Mark |
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| Author: | softwerkslex [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
Where would they build a new subway? |
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| Author: | Mark Trebing [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
According to the article, the Second Avenue subway is currently a few disconnected tunnel sections. They also list several elevated sections that were removed, and not replaced with subways. Subway lines could be extended into the suburbs. Regular rail and subways could be better integrated. -Mark |
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| Author: | philip.marshall [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
softwerkslex wrote: Where would they build a new subway? This is a perennial topic of conversation among New York-area railfans/transit buffs as well as urbanists and city planners. In addition to the completion (someday) of the 2nd Avenue line in upper Manhattan mentioned above, two proposals that have received varying amounts of official consideration in recent years are (1) a new subway line down Utica Avenue in eastern Brooklyn (first proposed in 1910!), and (2) a subway conversion of the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch in Queens (out of service since 1962 but never officially abandoned, so the surface ROW remains intact). I don't expect either of these to happen anytime soon, however. (In particular, there is a competing proposal to turn the Rockaway Beach Branch ROW into a High Line-like linear park called the "Queensway" which would prevent it from being returned to rail use.) -Philip Marshall |
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| Author: | Chris Webster [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
softwerkslex wrote: Where would they build a new subway? Under the Hudson River and into New Jersey.
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| Author: | softwerkslex [ Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
The funding mechanisms for maintenance and new construction are different. So the argument that deferred maintenance is an obstacle to new construction is not clear. The greater obstacle is that recent projects have been delayed and very much over budget, so the political will to commit to new construction is not there. Also, much of the infrastructure is so old that it is no longer "maintenance" but replacement with entirely new technology, particularly in the signal system. |
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| Author: | Metsno1fan [ Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
softwerkslex wrote: Where would they build a new subway? The lines from the current map were all drawn up when Manhattan was THE work destination and the other boroughs were basically suburbs. As the city as evolved, peoples transit needs have changed, but the routes are still stuck in the first half of last century. Only one line (G) connects two boroughs without traveling into Manhattan. Two major needs would be a cross-Bronx line and the completion of the 2nd Avenue Line to Hanover Square. A cross Bronx line could start in Riverdale, travel east and then south east connecting the remainder of the lines terminating in the Bronx, and then cross over into Queens to a LaGuardia Airport Station before meeting the 7 train at Citifield. Currently the trip from The Bronx to LaGuardia / Citifield takes almost two hours by train, as everyone must travel down to 42nd Street in Manhattan and then back out to Queens. Meanwhile driving could take as little as 20 minutes with no traffic. As for the 2nd Avenue line, which as been in and out of construction for almost 100 years now, it would provide much needed relief to the overcrowded 4/5/6 trains. Of course construction in NY also takes exponentially longer than it did. Even if the funds miraculously appeared out of the sky for a Cross Bronx route, I could easily see it taking 10 years to build. And while we're on the topic of fantasy transit lines, Mayor DeBlasio has been pushing for a lightrail/trolley line between Brooklyn and Queens. Pretty much exactly what they ripped out/paved over about 70 years ago. http://www.bqx.nyc/#bqx |
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| Author: | philip.marshall [ Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:33 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
A good book on this topic is "The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System" by Joseph Raskin. https://www.amazon.com/Routes-Not-Taken-Through-Unbuilt/dp/0823267407 -Philip Marshall |
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| Author: | Joshua K. Blay [ Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:13 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways |
Similar article for Philly with some common themes: https://hiddencityphila.org/2018/04/gho ... bway-line/ Joshua |
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